For those unhappy with Microsoft Corp.'s (MSFT) touch-driven operating system turn with Windows 8, it's about to get worse. Intel Corp. (INTC) announced at its Monday afternoon press conference at the 2013 Consumer Electronics Show at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada that all next generation Core i-Series "Ultrabook" machines will be required to have touch.

In other words, for OEMs less than enthusiastic about touch displays for laptops, you will be forced to either begrudgingly add touch or may be bumped down the supply ladder when it comes to Intel's latest and greatest upcoming Ultrabook-aimed chip -- the new 22 nm architecture Haswell (a "tock" release).

Thus Intel appears to be following an approach similar to Microsoft's with Windows 8 -- shoving innovation down the throat of the market.

Both device designers and customers will now be forced to deal with this force-feeding -- whether or not they feel ready for it. Ultimately that may be a wise decision for both companies; Microsoft otherwise would risk being overrun by master marketers and innovators like Google Inc. (GOOG) and Apple, Inc. (AAPL), while Intel would risk losing more ground to ARM Holdings Plc. (LON:ARM)

For OEMs who play nice, there will be rewards.

Intel showed off a 13-inch reference design that delivered 13 hour battery life, when in laptop mode (10 hours when in tablet mode, detachable via a one-touch latching mechanism). Intel is claiming that the battery bump from Ivy Bridge to Haswell is the "largest generation on generation battery life increase in the history of Intel."

The processor maker believes that by the holidays $599 USD or below touch laptops will be available to consumers, with the latest Intel Core processors.

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Don't argue with this clown. He's Tony Swash on cocaine with an inferiority complex and is highly obnoxious to boot. He knows the competition is leaving his precious apple in the dust and he needs to lash out. It makes him feel like a man.

Well that was someone's words added to it, referring to high end smartphones but the scores are the scores and Consumer Reports is 1 of the most well respected unbiased out there for decades, so I put a lot of weight on that, as opposed to some website. If I were to review it, it would rate even lower due to all the features it's missing.

Please, show me where Anandtech says the iPhone 5 is the best phone. I recall reading their review of it and I dont recall that assertion.

As for the CR article, try not to bog your lil mind down on the headline or score and concentrate on the reasoning. The iPhone is billed as a high end phone, and the things it does, it does do well and it has a better (not by a huge margin) app ecosystem... But it is missing all of these things that the competition has.

Its not about the cost of the cable at all. Its about being plug in compatible with every charger built on Earth for every phone for the past 4 years. Forgot your charger on a business trip? No problem, borrow your co-workers. At your girlfriends house overnight and need a charge? Just use hers. At your parents for the holidays? No worries, their chargers work too.

how does that not apply to apple devices tho? just looking at it fairly, i think we can all agree that iphones are mainstream and i find it really hard to believe that no one at any work has an apple cord.

dont get me wrong, mUSB is cool and all, but it never realistically was an issue, apple has penetrated the market enough where their cable is just as common.

Big screens are cool, the rest of the things you list are either non-features or gimmicks. Even voice search doesn't matter as Google's voice app on the iPhone is better than what's on Android, same with Maps.

Hardware and software on iOS are better. Gimmicks like batteries and cards seem to matter more to you.

How is NFC, 1920x1080 res screens, mini HDMI, Micro USB Micro SD and removable batteries gimmicks? Seriously, those are not just features, they are highly useful features that high end phones should have.

There should be a drinking game whenever retro busts out the copypasta from his .txt of Android features, haha.

And xti is right, complaining about a cable makes y'all look poor and whiny. I have exactly one device with micro-USB, a Kindle, and thankfully that has weeks of battery life so it doesn't matter if I don't pack that cable.

Fun fact, if I'm stranded without a cable I have a much higher chance of finding either a dock or lightning cable. I guess it depends on what your circle of people is, thankfully mine isn't with IT neckbeards, haha

"There should be a drinking game whenever retro busts out the copypasta from his .txt of Android features, haha."

+1... Cool by me. We could do the same for you every time you use your skewed cherry picked facts. As long as there is some clown acting like those things don't exist, I will post it. As long as you keep saying "If you like large screens" as if that is the only thing Android has over iPhone, I will keep posting :P

"complaining about a cable makes y'all look poor and whiny."

Like I said, its not the cost of the cable its the compatibility factor... And no-one is complaining. I am saying its yet another thing the iPhone lacks.

Dont put words in my mouth spin boy. I didnt say they were doomed. Apple could release nothing new for 3 years and they would still be in the market selling the iPhone with people like you insisting its the best in the face of clear evidence to the contrary. What I am saying is as a consumer, there are better options out there with more phone and more features for your $.

Busy earlier, but now can type... Anyhow, its not a 2 setting world. Stop and all ahead full. What I am saying is that Yes, most people are catching on to the fact that the iPhone is underfeatured compared to its competition, but there are still plenty of people that will buy it. That leaves it not doomed and not at the top of the market.

From 2007 to 2011, Apple was at the top of their game. Now, they aren't really innovating, and everyone caught up and then surpassed them. So, Apple will not be at the top of the market like 2007 to 2011, but will still be a major player and be highly profitable.

I'm not even going to waste my time proving you wrong on so many levels with all this non-sense you have been foaming at the mouth with. So instead, I shall provide some humor and a quick little reality check for you.

I see this as a true innovation that crApple MUST implement into their coming iPhones. Would you like to know why ? It is so that all you sheep/fanatics will be told by your phone that you are talking shit. As others that don't have the patented crApple RDF equipped, can save a little time and breath.

P.S. crApple hasn't invented anything.

P.S.S. All the product bans you hope to see aren't going to happen as the patents that were thought to have been infringed upon have mostly been invalidated since.

P.S.S.S As for your beloved stock, keep dreaming that you are laughing to the bank as it isn't anywhere near the mythical $1,000 mark and is falling at near terminal velocity. Enlighten me by reading this well written article.

Meanwhile in the real world Apple will post, in a couple of weeks, record quarterly results figures showing another big jump in sales, revenues and profits and will make more money than Microsoft, Google, Amazon and Facebook combined.

Apparently for some this is a sign of weakness.

Whatever you are taking I suggest you don't operate any machinery or drive :)